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Show Uncommon Sense By JOHN BLAKE , Bell Syndlcate-WNU Sorvlc I In a newspaper office a counsel Is held among the editors before' the Journal goes to Your press. First Page Realizing the Importance of displaying dis-playing wares properly to the public, pub-lic, the most vital and Interesting news of the day Is printed, at least lii part, on the first page. The reader, looking at the newspaper news-paper on a street corner stand buys It largely because of some Important Impor-tant news story. That Is the newspaper's Introduction Introduc-tion to the public, day after day. Once a good impression is made, the public which is impressed looks to the same paper for Important news the next day, and finally becomes be-comes a "constant reader." In the same way department stores, clothing stores, and the chain stores that sell all manner of groceries and foodstuffs, "dress" their counters, so that the best selling sell-ing goods are where they attract the eye of the customers. That first Impression is of the highest value. And so Is a first impression of the highest value to the young man or young women who Is making a start In life. What is yonr first page like? Are you friendly and civil? Do you look people in the eye and talk to them In a straightforward fashion? If you do, you are making the right start. If you do not, you had better put on a better "front." Men and women are going to judge you, In the beginning, at least, by what you seem. You may be able, later, to prove your quality, but it is the start thai counts at the beginning. Remember Uiat your whole futun is going to be influenced by the wa? you speak and listen to oOier peo pie. Do not be flippant or "smarty," Do not be short and snappy. Do not be cringing. Treat them as your equals. These are days of keen compett tion. It requires more than it did a few years ago to make the most of ar. impression. So dress your first page well from the beginning. And do not neglect to keep il dressed thereafter. The man who says he takes nr interest In his neighbors Is either a grouch or a liar. ,T . , , We are a socia- Neighbors Me race We all live in the same world, and, despite whai we may think, we all are gifted with curiosity. I do not mean that we are all busy and prying, but we like to know something about the people whom we see regularly, even if it Is twice a day on a commutation train. In a country town the arrival of a new citizen is an event. The people in whose vicinity he lives make it a point to get acquainted acquaint-ed with him. If he is not the right sort they do not push the acquaintance acquaint-ance to the point of intimacy. Residents of a great metropolis are, under their skins, just as "folksy." If you imagine that their neighbors neigh-bors do not interest them, walk through any residence. Including the more pretentious ones, and when a moving van drives up to a door you will observe many bends thrust through many windows, and the owners of the heads are taking stock of the newcomers. And don't let anybody tell you that women are more curious in this respect than men. A new member on a golf course may not be aware of It, but about half the members of the club are looking him over and taking stock of him, and they are all, as a rule, pleased when they get an introduction introduc-tion to him. I had always heard before I went to England that the English are haughty and aloof and distant. But I discovered that among the Englishmen I met, nnd there were a good many hundred of them, there was Just as much Interest In strangers stran-gers there us In America. And why shouldn't there be? Do not move along in a little narrow nar-row track, afraid that if you don't associate as-sociate always with the "right people," you will make some hideous social mistake. Supposing now and then you are thrown In with somebody that is not Bo good. It Is easy enough to get rid of him. Naturally, the peasants In a European Euro-pean country, having no fear that they will lose caste, are more addicted ad-dicted to making quick friendships than are the so-called "upper classes." If you are sure of yourself, you ' will not need to worry about whether wheth-er or not the strangers you meet are the right kind or the wrong kind. I |